%0 Journal Article %A ISABELA J. WASTOWSKI %A PERCIVAL D. SAMPAIO-BARROS %A ELIANE M.I. AMSTALDEN %A GUSTAVO MARTELLI PALOMINO %A JOÃO FRANCISCO MARQUES-NETO %A JANAINA C.O. CRISPIM %A ANA C. BIRAL %A DIANE M. RASSI %A EDGARDO D. CAROSELLA %A PHILIPPE MOREAU %A EDUARDO A. DONADI %T HLA-G Expression in the Skin of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis %D 2009 %R 10.3899/jrheum.080552 %J The Journal of Rheumatology %P 1230-1234 %V 36 %N 6 %X Objective. To determine HLA-G expression in skin biopsies from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its association with epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory variables and survival. Methods. Paraffin-embedded skin biopsies obtained from 21 SSc patients (14 limited SSc, 7 diffuse SSc) and from 28 healthy controls were studied. HLA-G expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results. HLA-G molecules were detected in 57% of skin biopsies from patients with SSc (9 from limited SSc, 3 from diffuse SSc), whereas no control sample expressed HLA-G (p = 0.000004). In patients, HLA-G molecules were consistently observed within epidermal and some dermal cells. HLA-G expression was associated with a lower frequency of vascular cutaneous ulcers (p = 0.0004), telangiectasias (p = 0.008), and inflammatory polyarthralgia (p = 0.02). After a 15-year followup, SSc patients who exhibited HLA-G survived longer than patients who did not. Conclusion. HLA-G is expressed in skin biopsies from patients with SSc, and this is associated with a better disease prognosis. This suggests a modulatory role of HLA-G in SSc, as observed in other skin disorders. %U https://www.jrheum.org/content/jrheum/36/6/1230.full.pdf